REVIEW: ‘Captain Marvel,’ Issue #6 – War of the Realms Tie in Part 1

Captain Marvel #6 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Kelly Thompson, art by Annapaola Martello, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles. As the War of the Realms rages we find Bucky and Black Widow in a battle with an army of the undead lead by The Enchantress. While battling for their lives Black Widow and Enchantress share a prophetic vision in which they see Enchantress defeated at the hands of Captain Marvel, Dr. Strange, and Black Widow. This leads Widow to assembling the others present in the vision to take down the Enchantress.

When I initially saw that Captain Marvel #6 was getting sidetracked by the War of the Realms crossover event I was a bit disappointed. I have really enjoyed where the creative team had been running with the book and didn’t want it to be disrupted by a managerial decreed crossover. But, if they had to interrupt the regularly scheduled comic, this is a good way to do it.

There are a number of elements in this story that really hit the mark for me, and some I wasn’t expecting. The story focus on Black Widow was a welcome one for me as it’s coming fresh off the heels of my having seen Avengers: Endgame, and seeing Natasha being her awesome self turned out to be far more welcome than I had realized it would be. However, the best element of this book has to be the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Steven Strange.

Thompson uses her signature blend of character writing to play Dr. Strange and Captain Marvel off of each other so well. As two of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe they are both used to overcoming the opposition. Whether magical supremacy or sheer brute force, the two know how to get it done. With an amazing twist I won’t spoil here, these characters who have become immensely confident in what they do are put in a situation where they cannot just do what they need to. Their reactions to this are not the most glowing, but certainly, authentically human. Captain Marvel #6 is a delight to read as these characters must get a handle on the realities of their current situation.

The art in Captain Marvel #6 does a solid job of presenting the story in a clear and engaging manner. While I enjoyed Martello’s versions of these characters following up on Carmen Carnero’s work on Captain Marvel is an unenviable task to say the least as her version of Earth’s Mightiest Hero has become the iconic one for me. Nevertheless, Martello manages to capture all of Carol’s personality very well. From her cockiness to her wit and finally her oversized heart, the art never fails to strengthen the story being told.

So, even if you, like myself, have not been keeping up with the War of the Realms crossover I would not hesitate to pick up this book. Despite the story being taken over by the company wide event the creative team has managed to keep it infused with all the things I’ve come to love about Captain Marvel.